Early Signs and Symptoms of Aphasia You Should Watch For

Aphasia symptoms vary in severity of impairment and impact on communication, looking at factors like the placement and extent of harm and therefore the demands of the speaking situation.

The Bruce Willis news has given focus to Aphasia. All are searching on the net to understand more about this cognitive disorder which ends up from damage to portions of the brain that are liable for language. The damages may be caused by stroke, tumour or head injury. It affects the assembly or comprehension of speech and also the ability to read or write.

Aphasia symptoms vary in severity of impairment and impact on communication, looking at factors like the placement and extent of harm and therefore the demands of the speaking situation. An individual with aphasia often experiences both receptive and expressive speech difficulties—each to varying degrees. He or she may have similar difficulties in written communication (i.e., reading comprehension and written expression). Like voice communication, written communication difficulties can vary in degree. For instance, someone can have reading comprehension difficulties (alexia) with or without written expression difficulties (agraphia). For people who speak over one language, languages could also be laid low with aphasia in several ways betting on when the language was learned, how often each language is employed, and therefore the overall degree of proficiency in each language.

Dr Alifia Bharmal, Speech and Swallow therapist, Masina Hospital shares some of the most common indications and symptoms of aphasia:

• Communication problems (spoken and written)
• Having a hard time coming up with words (anomia)
• Speaking in a sluggish or effortful manner
• Speaking in a single word (e.g., names of objects)
• Using short, fragmented sentences
• Omitting minor words such as the, of, and was (i.e., telegraphic speech)
• Making grammatical mistakes
• Ordering words incorrectly
• Substituting sounds or words (for example, “table” for bed; “wish dasher” for dishwasher)
• Making up terms (e.g., jargon)
• Fluently weaving together nonsensical and genuine words, yet omitting or adding insufficient significant substance
• Comprehension Problems in Spoken Language
• Having trouble understanding spoken words
• Taking extra time to comprehend spoken messages
• Giving untrustworthy replies to “yes/no” questions
• Failure to comprehend sophisticated grammar (e.g., “The cat chased the dog.”)
• Having difficulty following quick speech (e.g., radio or television news) o Misinterpreting linguistic subtleties (e.g., accepting the literal meaning of metaphorical speech like “It’s pouring cats and dogs.”)
• A lack of awareness of mistakes
• Written Expression Impairments (Agraphia)
• Reading Comprehension Impairments
• Having difficulty writing or copying letters, words, and sentences
• Having trouble understanding written information
• Having trouble identifying some words by sight
• Being unable to pronounce words o Substituting linked words for a word (e.g., “chair” for couch)
• Having trouble reading noncontent words (e.g., function words such as to, from, the)

A speech-language therapist (SLT) is regarded as the most significant provider of language ability training, as well as services such as training on communication methods and communication help devices, as well as psychosocial interventions.

Speech and language therapy for people with aphasia attempts to:

• Help you regain as much of your speech and language as possible (reduce impairment)
• Assist you in communicating as effectively as possible (increase activity and participation)
• Look for new ways to communicate (use compensatory strategies or aids) and provide information on aphasia to patients and their families.

As a recently graduated speech-language pathologist, I took my first steps in 2013. Since then, I’ve worked with people who have aphasia in a variety of settings and stages of rehabilitation. I’ve met a lot of interesting people throughout the years. Their significance in the daily lives of people with aphasia has become clearer to me.